Part 24 - The Eight Stages of Release, Vimokkha

Then the Buddha without any pause continued to the next subject, on the eight stages of release (vimokkha), in His discourse to the Venerable Ānanda thus:

“Ānanda, there are eight stages of release (vimokkha). These are:

i) Having attained jhāna by contemplating on one’s own body, the yogi contemplates external forms as kasiṇa objects. This is the first Release.

ii) Not taking any internal object, i.e. without contemplating on one’s own body, the yogi contemplates external forms (as kasiṇa objects). This the second Release.

iii) The yogi contemplates the brightness and clarity (subha) of the object of contemplation. This is the third Release.

iv) Having completely transcended all forms of perception to corporeality (rūpa-saññā), all forms of consciousness arising out of contact between sense and sense object (paṭigha-saññā), having disappeared and completely disregarding all other forms of multifarious consciousness (nānatta-saññā), the yogi, contemplating "that space is infinite", achieves concentration on that object of contemplation, and dwells in ākāsānañcāyatana-jhāna. This is the fourth Release.

v) Having clearly advanced beyond the jhāna of Infinity of Space, the yogi, contemplating "that Consciousness is infinite," achieves concentration on that object of contemplation, and dwells in viññāṇañcayatana-jhāna. This the fifth Release.

vi) Having clearly advanced beyond the jhāna of the Infinity of Consciousness, the yogi, contemplating "that nothing is there," achieves concentration on that object of contemplation, and dwells in ākiñcañāyatana-jhāna. This is the sixth Release.

vii) Having clearly advanced beyond the jhāna of nothingness, the yogi, contemplating the subtle consciousness, achieves concentration on it, and dwells in the nevasaññā-nāsaññāyatana-jhāna. This is the seventh Release.

viii) Having clearly advanced beyond the jhāna of Neither-Consciousness-nor-Non-Consciousness, the yogi achieves and dwells in sustained attainment of Cessation in which all forms of Consciousness and sensation cease. This is the eighth Release.

“Ānanda, these are the eight stages of Release.”

(The discourse not ended yet.)

(Vimokkha means a total freedom from hindrances and opposing mental states that shroud the mind, a cultured state of ecstatic bliss which maybe likened to the peaceful repose of a child in his father’s chest. This freedom or release lasts as long as the jhāna lasts. Vimokkha also means unity of mind and object of meditation unhampered by any other thought.)

Of those eight vimokkhas the first three are the jhāna of the fine material sphere (rūpā-vacara-jhānas).

Of these three, the first vimokkha, the jhāna of the Fine Material Sphere, is achieved by concentrating on internal as well as external objects. The second is the jhāna of the Fine Material Sphere, is achieved by concentrating on external objects. The third is achieved by concentrating on material objects or kasiṇas of very clear and pure colour, namely: nīla, pīta, lohita, adāta (dark-blue, yellow (golden), red, white). While the yogi is dwelling in this third stage of jhāna, he does not have such a thought as: “This is exquisite,” and yet since his mind gets fixed on exquisite objects, it appears as if he is entertaining such a thought. Hence the text describes it: “He is concentrating that this is exquisite.”

The four successive vimokkhas ——the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh——refer to the four jhānas of the Non-Material Sphere (Arūpa-jhānas). These four arūpa-jhāna are called vimokkha because they are entirely free from perceptions of corporeality, and also because the yogi’s mind is in complete unity with the object of meditation, unhampered by any other thought.

The eighth vimokkha refers to Nirodha-samāpatti, It is called Release because while one dwells in nirodha-samāpatti, all mental phenomena, headed by perception and sensation, cease, i.e. the mental process is suspended altogether, and along with it, mind-born corporeality also ceases, so that one is totally free from being a conditioned state. This cessation of the four mental aggregates and mind-born corporeality lasts during Nirodhasamāpatti.

For those persons who find pleasure in the woeful round of rebirth and are satisfied with their sentient existence in the three sphere, Release is a dreadful idea. As for the Buddha, it was a very pleasant thing to dwell in Release. He has no fear to experience Release. The Buddha discoursed on the eight stages of Release to let the Venerable Ānanda understand the fearless nature of the Buddha.

“Ānanda,” the Buddha continued, “the Tathāgata who has dwelt in the eight stages of Release and has emerged from them, has no fear or dread at all. That being so, how could anyone say that the Tathāgata was afraid of Māra who came to him alone? Ānanda, in relinquishing the life-maintaining mental process, the Tathāgata did so fearlessly, with mindfulness and clear comprehension.” (These also are the Buddha’s words to Ānanda, as continued in the Pakiṇṇaka Dhamma desanā).